In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically
as an autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of
progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing
over time. By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with
wondrous overall existence advancing over time, sorrow, doubt and remorse
immediately start disappearing, and your life soon gathers new impetus.
This week's preliminary ASP subject is again the ubiquity of suffering
(duhkha) in the world, which is simultaneously the third sign of being (fact
of life) and the first noble truth of Buddhism.
According to Advayavada Buddhism, it is indisputable that the Buddha did not
believe in Brahman (God, transcendent Absolute) or in the atman or atta
(soul, immortal self) and taught that man suffers because he does not
understand and accept that all things in life are instead utterly changeable
and transitory. Man is prone to suffering (duhkha) quite simply because he
strives after and tries to hold on to things and concepts which he believes
to be permanent, but are not.
In Advayavada Buddhism, the concept of duhkha does not include emotional
grief nor physical pain. It refers solely to the existential suffering,
angst and regret non-enlightened human beings are prone to - the enlightened
person accepts with understanding and compassion the grief and pain which
are part and parcel of human existence; equanimity does not mean
insensitivity to our own feelings and those of others.
The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and
implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever
we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as
our health, relationships, work, study, our place in society, etc.
Tip: Write down this week's subject (e.g. 'what is duhkha?') in your pocket
diary!
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>
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